Rebecca de Fraine
Rebecca's page
Fundraising for Maggie's Centres
Story
Last year my mum ran the London marathon, which for a tiny 5’1 lady is a big feat in itself. Even more so because she has lived through cancer FOUR times, chemotherapy THREE times, Radio therapy TWICE and a DOUBLE mastectomy!
My brother and I were too young to fully understand the severity of her illnesses as she always kept smiling and stayed strong for the both of us. As a family we dealt with it in our own way; finding ways to laugh and joke at the hardest moments.
When she was first diagnosed, I was 8 – I didn’t really know what was happening. My mum lost her hair and had to wear a wig. My reaction… I put my head out of the car window with my long hair blowing in the wind and said “you can’t do this mummy because your hair would fall off”. Not the most sensitive of reactions… but a story we laugh about now.
At the age of 10, I remember sitting on the breakfast table while my mum and dad explained to my brother and I that she had it again. The four of us cried but like an absolute champ, she faced it all again in the other breast. But with the hard times, we were able to find many silver linings to it as we grew up. My brother used cancer as a reason to appeal his failed exam into Grammar school (which he did not revise for in the slightest!) and I was able to get out of a million social occasions I didn’t want to attend; “Sorry I can’t come, my mum has breast cancer”. Finally, a silver lining for my mum; she has no more hair on her big toes after all the rounds of chemo (she will hate me for saying that!).
The third time, we were on holiday and she had to fly home early to the scary double mastectomy operation. Swim suit shopping is now filled with frills and tassels to cover the scars but somehow she still looks incredible in a bikini.
They found the fourth cancer in the removed breasts - I wanted to keep them in a jar but my mum said no!
This is mainly a little message to my mum: you are the most incredible lady I have ever met and forever my inspiration! Even if I’m a tiny bit as fearless and strong as you when I’m older, I’ll be happy…
Please help me raise as much money as I can for Maggie’s Cancer Centre in Oxford. To steal a quote from my mum (because she’s always been the best with words in our family) “Maggie’s are a beacon of hope when life is very dark and very scary, when the fun and giggles of living temporarily disappear and when dreams are hidden away in a back pocket until the time they can be taken out, dusted off and lived”
https://www.maggiescentres.org/our-centres/maggies-oxford/
My brother and I were too young to fully understand the severity of her illnesses as she always kept smiling and stayed strong for the both of us. As a family we dealt with it in our own way; finding ways to laugh and joke at the hardest moments.
When she was first diagnosed, I was 8 – I didn’t really know what was happening. My mum lost her hair and had to wear a wig. My reaction… I put my head out of the car window with my long hair blowing in the wind and said “you can’t do this mummy because your hair would fall off”. Not the most sensitive of reactions… but a story we laugh about now.
At the age of 10, I remember sitting on the breakfast table while my mum and dad explained to my brother and I that she had it again. The four of us cried but like an absolute champ, she faced it all again in the other breast. But with the hard times, we were able to find many silver linings to it as we grew up. My brother used cancer as a reason to appeal his failed exam into Grammar school (which he did not revise for in the slightest!) and I was able to get out of a million social occasions I didn’t want to attend; “Sorry I can’t come, my mum has breast cancer”. Finally, a silver lining for my mum; she has no more hair on her big toes after all the rounds of chemo (she will hate me for saying that!).
The third time, we were on holiday and she had to fly home early to the scary double mastectomy operation. Swim suit shopping is now filled with frills and tassels to cover the scars but somehow she still looks incredible in a bikini.
They found the fourth cancer in the removed breasts - I wanted to keep them in a jar but my mum said no!
This is mainly a little message to my mum: you are the most incredible lady I have ever met and forever my inspiration! Even if I’m a tiny bit as fearless and strong as you when I’m older, I’ll be happy…
Please help me raise as much money as I can for Maggie’s Cancer Centre in Oxford. To steal a quote from my mum (because she’s always been the best with words in our family) “Maggie’s are a beacon of hope when life is very dark and very scary, when the fun and giggles of living temporarily disappear and when dreams are hidden away in a back pocket until the time they can be taken out, dusted off and lived”
https://www.maggiescentres.org/our-centres/maggies-oxford/
